Biculturalism

Conservation and sustainability are wonderful kupu and the movements behind these kupu are beautiful and imperative for our world. Quite often in discourse around conservation and sustainable practice or ways of living, we hear things like ‘for the survival of the planet’. Of course, the planet will be fine, she has evolved through eons, and will continue to regardless of how many single use plastics we use. What we really mean is for our own survival. The health and state of the natural world is integrally connected to our own because we are of course a part of the ecology of the planet. Indigenous knowledge systems are based on this very foundation. So, for Conservation Week I am going to share my perspective on what that means to me as a kaiako, as a person and as tangata whenua.

Community is a big word that can mean a lot of different things. In my experience in early childhood education, community is the intersection of the people connected with your service and the place itself. The Our Kids community is integrally connected with the Glen Eden community, geographically, socially and even historically.

Building whanaungatanga with your community is the foundation of place-based learning for us at Our Kids. This includes our relationships with our whānau, our neighbours, our local library, pet shop, grocer and community centre. This also includes our relationships to the whenua (land) our centre sits on, the ngahere (bush), awa (rivers), and maunga (mountains) which border it, and the history of these places.

Matariki has become synonymous with the celebration of the Māori New Year. Matariki is the name of a star cluster, and when it is visible in the night sky, this marks the change in season and the start of the first lunar cycle of the maramataka (Māori lunar calendar). Matariki is part of a bigger constellation called Te Waka o Rangi. It is a canoe with Matariki at the bow (front) and Tautoru (Orion) is at the stern (back). The waka is captained by a tupuna (ancestor) named Taramainuku whose mahi (work) it is to cast a cosmic net across the earth as the sun sets each day. With this net, Taramainuku trawls for the wairua (spirits) of those who have died. Each day he hauls the net up to the sky and hangs it off the back of his waka. This story tells how our dead are carried across the heavens by a waka lead by Matariki. As the sun rises, Taramainuku casts the wairua of the dead into the sky where they become part of the cosmos. Kua wheturangihia is a way of saying someone has died in te reo Māori, it literally means they have become stars.

This weeks words relate to the body, alongside an encouragement song, Kai Pai!
Te Tinana - the Body
Mahunga/ ūpoko Head
Pakahiwi Shoulder
Uma Chest
Tuarā Back
Puku Stomach
Hope Hip
Waewae Leg/ foot
Ringaringa Hand/ arm
Matimati Finger/ toe
Makawe Hair
Kanohi Face
Rae Forehead
Taringa Ear
Whatu/ karu Eye
Waha Mouth
Ngutu Lips
Ihu Nose
Kauae Chin
Pāpāringa Cheek

Ngā Tae - Colours

Mā White

Whero Red

Kikorangi Blue

Kōwhai Yellow

Kākāriki Green

Karakaraka Orange

Parauri Brown

Tawa Purple

Kiwikiwi Grey

Pango Black

Hiriwa Silver

Koura Gold

Words and Song of the Week

Kia ora – Hi, hello, thank you (literally - be well)

Tēnā koe – Greeting one person

Tēnā koutou – Greeting a group

Ka kite – See you (goodbye)

Apōpō– tomorrow

Ka kite apōpō– see you tomorrow

Mōrena – good morning

Ata mārie – good morning (peaceful morning)

Ahiahi mārie – good afternoon (peaceful afternoon)

Pō mārie – good night (peaceful night)

Te reo Māori holds unique status as the indigenous language of Aotearoa, New Zealand. It is also an official language of Aotearoa. The early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki, is a bilingual and bicultural document which guides everything we do as kaiako (teachers) in early childhood in NZ. Te Whāriki recognises Māori as tangata whenua (people of this land) and states our roles as kaiako in protecting te reo Māori as it carries the culture of our tangata whenua.